1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to techniques for supporting wireless communication equipment and, in particular, to a system and method for increasing the load capacity and stability of a guyed tower, thereby enabling the guyed tower to support heavier or additional wireless communication equipment and/or other types of loads.
2. Related Art
The increase in wireless telecommunications traffic has resulted in a concomitant increase in the need for guyed mounted transmission equipment of all kinds. Not only do wireless service providers need to install equipment covering new geographic areas, competing services providers and others also need to install additional equipment covering the same or similar geographic areas. To date, the solution to the foregoing problems normally includes purchasing additional land or easements, applying for the necessary government permits and zoning clearances, and constructing a new guyed tower for new transmission equipment.
Purchasing land or easements, however, is becoming increasingly expensive, particularly in urban areas where the need for wireless telecommunications is greatest. Zoning regulations often limit the construction of new guyed towers in the most suitable locations. The expense and delay associated with the zoning process often are cost-prohibitive or so time consuming that construction of the new tower is not feasible. Even when zoning regulations can be satisfied and permits can be obtained, the service provider must then bear the burden and expense associated with the construction and the maintenance of the tower.
The guyed tower itself should be designed to support the weight of the telecommunications transmission equipment as well as the forces exerted on the guyed tower by environmental factors, such as wind and ice, for example. The equipment and the environmental factors produce forces known as bending moments that, in effect, may cause a single guyed tower to collapse if the tower is not designed for adequate stability. Traditionally, single guyed towers have been designed to withstand the forces expected from the equipment originally installed on the guyed tower. Very few single guyed towers are designed with sufficient stability to allow for the addition of new equipment.
Thus, there is a need for a method and a system for increasing the load capacity and stability of a single guyed tower to enable the guyed tower to support the weight of additional equipment as well as the environmental forces exerted on the guyed tower.